Bicycle



Nov. 3, 1942. GRAY 2,301,036

BICYCLE Filed Sept. 18, 1941 Raymond Gray Patented Nov. 3, 1942 UNITEDSTATES PATENT QFF-ICE' BICYCLE Raymond Gray, Sandy, Oreg.

Application September 18, 1941, Serial No. 411,385

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel construction of bicycle, and moreparticularly to a bicycle for small children having'safety means forholding the bicycle in an upright position.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide anattachment in the form of a secondary frame for a bicycle and which isadapted to replace the lower portion of a conventional bicycle frame andwhich is provided with laterally projecting arms carrying castersadapted to engage the supporting surface of the bicycle for maintainingit in an upright position.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide means for yieldablyconnecting the forward end of the secondary frame to the main frame ofthe bicycle and for pivotally connecting the rear end of the secondaryframe to the bicycle so that said forward end can yield upwardly foryieldably holding the casters in engagement with th ground.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, whichillustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of th improved bicycle,

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly in section, showing the secondaryframe attached,

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view through a portion of therear wheel taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure1,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View of a portion of the rear wheeltaken substantially along a plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3,and

Figure 5 is a side elevational view looking toward the inner side of therear pulley and showing said pulley removed from the rear wheel.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views, Ill designates generally the improved bicycle in itsentirety and which includes a' main frame, designated generally ll,provided with an upper bar 12 having a fork l3 at the rear end thereofwhich i adapted to be connected to the axle M of a rear wheel 15. Asleeve I6 is connected to the forward end of the bar I 2 by means of ajoint or coupling H and is disposed at an angle to the bar If. Asteering post !8 is turnably mounted in the sleeve I5 and is connectedat its lowerend to a front fork IS in which is rotatably mounted a frontwheel 26 on a front axle 2|. The steering post I8 is provided withhandlebars 22 at its upper end and it is to be understood that the frontwheel 20 is adapted to be steered by means of the handlebars 22 in aconventional manner. The bar 12 forwardly of and adjacent the fork I3 isprovided with a sleeve 23 in which a saddle post 24 is a-djustably heldby a set screw 25 and a conventional bicycle saddle 26 is mounted on theupper portion of the post 24 in a conventional manner.

From the foregoing description and from the illustration of Figure 1, itwill be noted that the frame [I differs from the conventional bicycleframe in that the saddle pillar thereof, the bar which extends from thelower end of the saddle pillar to the sleeve I6, and the lower rear forkare omitted.

A supplementary secondary frame, designated generally 21, is providedwith a longitudinally extending main rod or bar 23 having a fork 29which projects from and forms a continuation of the rear end thereof andwhich is pivotally connected to the rear axle I 4, as best seen. inFigure 3. The bar 28 is provided with an upwardly curved extension 30near its forward end and is also provided with laterally projecting arms3| at the forward end thereof and which are curved downwardly andforwardly, as seen in Figures 1 and 2. Th forward end of the rod or bar28 terminates behind and is spaced from the front wheel 20. A caster 32is swivelly connected to the free end of each of the arms 3 I.

An ear or projection 33, as seen in dotted lines in Figure 1, is formedin the angle formed by the sleeve l6 and the union l! and at theunderside of said union. A V-shaped lever 34 is provided with openings35, as seen in Figure 2, in termediate of the ends thereof for receivingand loosely engaging a bolt 0r pin 35 which extends through the ear 33for pivotally mounting the lever 35 on the frame II. The sleeve l5extends through the legs of the v of the lever 34 and the intermediateportion of the lever extends forwardly from the frame H while the end ofthe legs of the V thereof extend rearwardly of the frame. Correspondinglinks 31 are pivotally connected at complementary ends thereof by meansof fastenings 38 to the free ends of the legs of the lever 2 1. Theextension 38 is provided with a transverse sleeve 38 at its forward,free end through which extends a fastening 4% to which the opposite endsof the links 31 are pivotally connected. A clamp M is attached to the.

sleeve l6, adjacent each end thereof. A spring 42 is fastened at one endto the upper clamp l! and a similar spring 43 is anchored at one endthereof to the lower clamp ll. The springs 42 and 43 converge outwardly,relatively to one another and are connected at their opposite ends tothe forward end of the \/-shaped lever 34 at 44. The springs 42 and 43are of the contractile type and cooperate to yieldahly hold the lever 34in the position, as seen in'Figure l, and when thus positioned thecasters 32 are adapted to be disposed to engage the surface engaged bythe wheels l5 and 20.

The rear wheel Iii includes a hub 45, as seen in Figure 3, havingenlarged ends ll; in which the inner ends of the spokes 41 of the wheelare anchored. A pulley, designated generally 48 is connected to one sideof the wheel l5 and includes an outer section G9 and an inner ringsection 58. The outer section t!) is provided with a cup shaped innerportion 5! to receive a portion of one of the enlargements lit and has acentral opening 52 through which the axle Ill loosely extends. The outersection 49 is also provided with an outwardly projecting annular flangeportion 53 which projects radially from the cup 5| and which is providedon its inner side with radially extending grooves 54 andcircumferentially spaced openings 55, as best seen in Figure 5. Anannular rim portion 56 projects outwardly from the periphery of theflange 53 and is disposed substantially at a right angle thereto and isprovided with a V-shaped groove 5?, as seen in Figure 3. The inner ringas is formed of three corresponding arcuately shaped plates 58 eachforming a third of a circle and each of which is provided with anopening 59 which is adapted to aline with an opening 55 for receiving anut and bolt fastening 66 to secure the plates 58 to the flange 53. Eachof the plates 53 engage two of the spokes 4'? for retaining said spokesin engagement with the grooves M to key the pulley lid to the wheel iii.

A bearing ill is provided with a plate 52 through which extend the endsof a U-shaped bolt 63 and said ends are threaded to engage nuts G l forclamping the plate 62 to the bar or rod 28, around which the U-shapedbolt 63 is disposed to position the bearing 6i above and crosswise ofthe bar 23. A shaft 55 extends through and is journaled in the bearing6!. Cranks 86 are keyed to the ends of the shaft 65 and extend therefromin opposite directions relatively to one another and are provided withpedals 67 at their outer ends and which are of conventional constructionand conventionally mounted. A pulley 58 is keyed to the shaft 55 betweenthe bearing 6| and one of the crank arms 65 and a collar 69 is keyed tothe shaft 65 near its opposite end. Pulley 63 engages one end of thebearing ill and the collar o9 the other end thereof to prevent the shaftto from sliding relatively to the bearing. The pulley $8 is of V-typeand a V-shaped belt 79 is trained over the pulley 6B and the pulley dBfor driving the rear wheel when the crank arms 66 and shaft 65 arerevolved. It will be readily apparent that the nuts 54 can be loosenedfor longitudinally adjusting the bearing 6| relatively to the bar 23 fortensioning the belt Til.

If desired, sprocket wheels could be substituted for the pulleys Z8 and68 and a chain could be used in lieu of the belt Ill.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the caster wheels will act tohold the bicycle to in an upright position so that a young child, notcapable of balancing himself on a conventional two wheel bicycle canride the bicycle l. The arms 3! are spaced sufficiently from the frontwheel is so as not to interfere with the turning hereof and are alsosufficiently forward relatively to the bicycle in to permit a rider toget on and off of the bicycle without striking the arms 3! or casters32. The springs 32 and 43 are held under just sufficient tension toretain the casters 32 in engagement with the surface on which the wheelsand 28 are resting and said springs allow the front wheel to yieldupwardly relatively to the casters 32 or permit the casters 32 to yieldupwardly relatively to the front wheel so that either the Wheel orcasters can ride over obstructions, each without affecting the other.

In view of the detailed description of the construction of the inventiona further description of the operation thereof is deemed unnecessary asthe operation and advantages of the invention are considered clearlyapparent from the drawing and detailed description.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to provided they fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bicycle having a main frame including an upper bar having a fork atits rear end in which the rear wheel of the bicycle is adapted to bemounted, said bar having a front fork swivelly connected to its forwardend and in which the front wheel of the bicycle is adapted to bemounted, a secondary frame including a longitudinally extending barhaving a fork at the rear end thereof adapted to be attached to the rearwheel, said last mentioned bar having lateral extensions at its forwardend, casters connected to the ends of said extensions, and means foryieldably connecting the forward end of the secondary frame to the mainframe, said yieldable connecting means including a lever pivotallyconnected intermediate of its ends to said main frame, link meanspivotally connected to one end of said lever and to the forward end ofthe secondary frame, and spring means for engaging and yieldablypositioning the opposite end of said lever for yieldably positioning theforward end of the secondary frame relatively to the main frame,

2. A bicycle having a main frame including an upper bar having a fork atits rear end in which he rear wheel of the bicycle is adapted to bemounted, said bar having a front fork swivelly connected to its forwardend and in which the front wheel of the bicycle is adapted to bemounted, a secondary frame including a longitudinally extending barhaving a fork at the rear end thereof adapted to be attached to the rearwheel, said last mentioned bar having lateral extensions at its forwardend, casters connected to the ends of said extensions, and means foryieldably connecting the forward end of the secondary frame to the mainframe, said -icycle having a foot propelling mechanism adapted to bemounted on said secondary frame, clamping for adjustably and cletachablysecuring said mechanism thereto. 7

3. In combination with a bicycle, a secondary frame adapted to bepivotally connected at its rear end to the rear wheel axle of thebicycle, said secondary frame extending forwardly therefrom, means foryieldably connecting the forward end of the secondary frame to thebicycle frame, arms projecting laterally from said secondary frame, andcasters connected to the free ends of said arms and adapted to engagethe surface over which the bicycle is moving, said means for yieldablyconnecting the forward end of the frame to the bicycle frame including abar extending upwardly from said secondary frame and adjacent theforward end thereof, a lever pivotally mounted intermediate of its endson the bicycle frame, a link pivotaliy connected to one end of saidlever and to the free end of said bar, and springs connected to theopposite end of said lever and to the bicycle 'rame for yieldablyholding the lever in a fixed position relatively to the frame of thebicycle,

RAYMOND GRAY.

